Website update: mechanical design

[tapesonthefloor]

Heh, I like the progression of mock-ups:

They started by designing the digital Zeiss Ikon and ended up with the digital Hexar AF.

 

[ochong]

From the menu screens on the japanese website, it looks like you program what the Fn button controls deep in the menu. Then when you press the Fn button the jog dial will then alter that setting up or down (assuming it is a value change. DOF preview probably just needs the Fn button press)

Out of the box, press Fn then the jog dial alters ISO up and down.
If you prefer, dig into the menu, find the Fn setting, change it to White Balance. Now when you press Fn, the jog dial will alter WB through the various presets.

Sorry I guess I should have said hold Fn + scroll wheel (whatever term for that wheel on the back). That being said, I believe you are correct that you have to assign the function in the menus and then use Fn + jog wheel to change whatever the assigned custom function is.

 

[DougFord]

engineering change request

An additional selection 'Focus mode' should become available in the 'fn' menu only when the cameras dedicated focus switch is placed into the MF position.
Controlled by the jog dial and defaulting to the 'MF' setting (lens focus ring activated); followed by additional preset zone focusing distances, 1m, 2m 3m, 4m, inf and selectable via the jog dial.
This would allow standard MF via the lens focus ring as well as the ability to quickly choose AND LOCK a 'snap focus' distance.
Zone focusing with a free wheeling fly by wire lens ring will be prone to inadvertent changes.

 

[jsrockit]

Can someone explain this?

Dynamic range can be expanded to prevent “blackout” or “washout” of the subject in high
contrast lighting and bring out the detail in shadow and highlights. In addition to automatic
optimization, the user can manually select 100%, 200% and 400% dynamic range. Capture
natural gradations from the brightest to the darkest parts of the image just as the eye sees
them.​

What I'm not understanding is why you wouldn't want to expand dynamic range generally speaking... since digital cameras are known for their narrow dynamic range (unless going for silouhette effects). What is the downside to using the high dynamic range mode? or is this just a confusing way of explaining some lame HDR mode?​

 

[videogamemaker]

Can someone explain this?

Dynamic range can be expanded to prevent “blackout” or “washout” of the subject in high
contrast lighting and bring out the detail in shadow and highlights. In addition to automatic
optimization, the user can manually select 100%, 200% and 400% dynamic range. Capture
natural gradations from the brightest to the darkest parts of the image just as the eye sees
them.​

What I'm not understanding is why you wouldn't want to expand dynamic range generally speaking... since digital cameras are known for their narrow dynamic range (unless going for silouhette effects). What is the downside to using the high dynamic range mode? or is this just a confusing way of explaining some lame HDR mode?​

Yeah it’s a jpeg setting. Hold on I typed this out for another forum:

If it works like Sony and other’s implementations, it’s a jpeg only setting. It affects how the curves are implemented in making the jpeg. It does not make a single raw file have any more DR at any of these settings.

Here it is explained (sort of) for another fuji model. http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_s100fs/features/index.html

I could see it working one of two ways.

1. It takes multiple images, stacks them, and creates a jpeg only with more dynamic range than normal. There are a couple of cameras that can do this, and the sweep panorama mode of the x100 proves it has the ability to align images. Something newer cameras can do with hand held multiple exposures combined into 1 final jpeg with less blown highlights and less clipped shadows.

2. It takes one image, but uses a different curve to prioritize the extreme light differences. In a low contrast image this would result in a very flat image, but in a high contrast image, you can get properly exposed sky and shadows.

No matter which way it is, if past camera implementations are anything to go off, you’re only going to see these effects in Jpeg output, they don’t alter the raw files. With method 1, you would have the higher DR jpeg with multiple raws you could stack on your own the traditional way, and with method 2 you have one raw file to edit as you normally would. Either way the DR of a single raw image is up to the sensor’s capabilities, these settings won’t change it.

 

[bensyverson]

What is the downside to using the high dynamic range mode?

Probably noise. These modes usually work by underexposing the image and then boosting it with software—giving you more highlight range at the expense of shadow noise.

 

[jsrockit]

So it is a lame HDR mode then... ok, I should have figured. Thanks.

 

[juan123]

Heh, I like the progression of mock-ups:

The older three mockups (the larger ones) have a button next to the lens. What's this? It is not in the last two designs. Were they trying to have an interchangeable lens camera? Is it a DOF button?

 

[jsrockit]

Perhaps it was interchangeable lenses juan.